Software Project Failure

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Today, no business can compete without reliable information-technology systems. The failure of a software project or system can cost millions of dollars in lost productivity and disrupt normal business operations, placing a company at a significant competitive disadvantage. Yet study after study tells us that a significant percentage of software projects end in failure.

The Root Causes of Software Project Failure

Software projects ending in dispute typically have three major customer complaints: (1) it cost too much; (2) it took too long; and (3) the software either doesn’t work or won’t support the customer’s business needs. The root causes of software failure are almost always traced to misaligned expectations and failure to comply with contractual responsibilities and industry standards and practices.

Vendor and Customer Responsibilities

Software development contracts often bind the vendor to standards of care relating to the manner in which they implement software as well as the delivered software’s fitness of purpose. Similarly, the customer often has critical duties assigned by contract and industry standards. Software project failures can be traced to failures of either party in understanding and adhering to these duties.

How We Can Help: Determining the Causes of a Software Project Failure

DisputeSoft professionals are highly experienced and credentialed in the application of applicable industry standards, and have provided clients with critical investigation, analysis and opinions related to project management and software engineering failure issues. Whether the system failure dispute arises from alleged fraud, misrepresentation, negligence, or breach of contract or warranty, we provide the consulting services necessary to support or refute technical facts at issue in the case, and to arrive at the ultimate causes of a project’s demise. We have worked on more than 100 cases on behalf of both software vendors and their customers to provide detailed analyses of failed software projects and systems.

Our Services

When serving as software failure experts, we apply our IT-industry expertise, training, and real-world experience to perform applicable investigation and analyses, reach findings and opinions regarding liability, prepare expert reports, and defend our opinions and the basis for them in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration and administrative proceedings. We are also able to assess the feasibility of corrective action plans for failed or failing software projects.

We assist counsel in understanding the root causes of a software project failure. We do this by reviewing project documents, testing the software for adherence to promised functionality and technical specifications, analyzing delay claims, assessing defects, determining percent complete, assisting with document discovery (including document production requests and deposition preparation assistance), preparing affidavits and declarations to support motions, interviewing fact witnesses, and reaching independent supportable opinions.

If you are in need of a software failure expert, we invite you to consider DisputeSoft.